Business

Ministers have again refused to pay compensation to women affected by changes to the state pension age, triggering renewed anger from campaigners who say millions were left in the dark about reforms that upended their retirement plans. The government revisited the issue after a previously unseen document emerged, but concluded once more that compensation was neither justified nor affordable. Campaigners …

Karachi: The agreement for the handling and export of copper-gold concentrates from the Reko Diq project has been formally signed on Wednesday here in Karachi between Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Limited (PIBT) and Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC). Under this landmark agreement, PIBT has been designated as the primary export facility for Reko Diq’s minerals which will strengthen the country’s …

Aldi has announced plans to open 40 new stores across the UK in 2026 as part of a £370 million investment programme aimed at expanding access to low-cost groceries. The German-owned supermarket said new locations will include Southam in Warwickshire, Hastings in East Sussex and Amersham in Buckinghamshire, as it targets communities where it currently has no presence. Giles Hurley, …

YouTube has been criticised by broadcasters and advertisers after withdrawing from the UK’s main television audience measurement system, just months after agreeing to be measured alongside traditional TV channels and rival streaming platforms. The move follows legal action by YouTube’s owner, Google, which sent cease-and-desist letters to Barb and its research partner Kantar Media, blocking access to data used to …

UPS has announced plans to cut up to 30,000 jobs this year as it continues to reduce deliveries for its largest customer, Amazon, which the parcel giant says have been weighing heavily on profitability. The world’s largest package delivery firm said the job reductions would be achieved primarily through voluntary buyout offers to full-time drivers and by not replacing staff …

The National Wealth Fund has set out plans to sharply accelerate investment, committing up to £5 billion a year of public money into clean energy, industrial transformation and strategic infrastructure as part of a more focused growth strategy. Under the new approach, the fund will prioritise ten sectors, with clean energy at the core. These include energy storage, electricity networks, …

The struggling British fashion brand LK Bennett has been bought out of administration by US restructuring specialist Gordon Brothers, raising the prospect that its remaining nine UK shops could close with the loss of around 380 jobs. Gordon Brothers, which acquired Poundland for £1 last year, confirmed it has purchased LK Bennett’s global brand and intellectual property assets for an …

Royal Mail has come under renewed fire after research found it failed to deliver Christmas letters and cards on time to around 16 million people, the worst festive performance in five years outside periods of strike action. The findings, published by Citizens Advice, suggest the number of people affected by delays over Christmas 2025 was 50 per cent higher than …

Pornhub will restrict access to its website for UK users from next week, effectively blocking new visitors in protest at tougher age-verification requirements introduced under the Online Safety Act. From 2 February, only people who already hold a Pornhub account will be able to access the site. The same restrictions will apply to other adult websites owned by its parent …

More than 3,400 jobs and billions of pounds of private investment are set to flow into Lanarkshire after the UK government named the region as Scotland’s first AI Growth Zone, a flagship initiative under its Modern Industrial Strategy. The Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone, announced on 29 January, will be delivered by Scottish data centre operator DataVita at its Airdrie site, …